


Guilty Or Not Guilty?

by KillianJones32



Category: How to Get Away with Murder
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Connor's arrested, M/M, Oliver Finds Out, Romance, now with epilogue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-03
Updated: 2016-07-24
Packaged: 2018-06-06 06:05:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6741802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KillianJones32/pseuds/KillianJones32
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Please state your full name to the court.”<br/>His palms were sweaty and even as he sat in the witness stand he knew he was still trembling. The piercing eyes of the prosecution watched him as he struggled to get a grip on reality.<br/>How did he end up here?<br/>“Sir-“<br/>“Oliver.” He said “Oliver Hampton.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Guilty or Not Guilty?

“Please state your full name to the court.”

His palms were sweaty and even as he sat in the witness stand he knew he was still trembling. The piercing eyes of the defence attorney watched him as he struggled to get a grip on reality.  
How did he end up here? 

“Sir-“

“Oliver.” He said “Oliver Hampton.” 

...

It started all those months ago when Connor Walsh appeared on his doorstep at six am. 

Tussled hair, that cheeky grin a bit too wide and his laugh a tad too nervous, his breath coming in short ragged breaths as he slowly began to unravel piece by piece. 

He was high.

Broken and high.

At least that’s what Oliver had been led to believe. 

Until he found out the truth, over a year later. 

...

It was freezing. 

The cool wind was bitter, sharp and it caused Oliver Hampton to stick his gloved hand further into his coat pocket while the other clung to the shopping bag that had ‘Merry Christmas!’ plastered on it in large font.

He wore one of Connor’s navy scarves around his neck and that ridiculous, re-gift, homemade woolly hat his boyfriend had given him last year for Christmas. 

He never usually wore the hat, feeling he looked funny enough as it was and he didn’t need to add an obscure, vibrant hat to the mix. 

Connor had simply rolled his eyes at his boyfriend’s protests, shoved the hat on his head, and kissed him hard on the lips before forcing him out the door to buy them some new Christmas lights. 

Oliver personally didn’t think there was anything wrong with the Christmas tree lights he already owns but his pretty-boy boyfriend however ‘subtly’ complained for the past few days about how much of an absolute effort it was going to be to untangle all of Oliver’s lights and how much easier it would be to just buy a new set.  
Combine that with Connor’s puppy eyes and bashful grin, Oliver never stood a chance. 

As he trudged through the light layer of snow, Oliver smiled as he thought of the hot chocolate Connor had promised to have waiting for him when he returned.  
It was their first Christmas together; seeing as last year they hadn’t been technically back together when the holidays rolled around, Connor insisted on making this one special. 

Oliver knew Connor wasn’t religious so he was quite surprised at his boyfriend’s particular enthusiasm to the world-wide celebrated holiday and its beloved traditions. 

Nevertheless Oliver went along to pretty much everything Connor wanted for the holiday season. The tree, the decorations, the new white lights (“Because multi-coloured lights are inadequate Ollie and we aren’t THAT gay!”) and even wearing the crazy (but admittedly warm and fluffy) hat. 

Oliver smiled to himself as his feet brought him closer to home. Connor had casually mentioned Oliver coming home with him for Christmas this year. Though they had never properly discussed it, he hadn’t missed the sheepish grin on his lover’s face when he had replied with a shrug and a matching smile, promising a 'maybe' the last time Connor brought it up. 

They hadn’t done the whole official meet the family thing yet. They had talked about their families and both of their parents know that they are in a committed relationship but with their work and Connor’s study they just never got around to it. 

Just thinking about sitting across the table from Connor’s parents, making small talk with his sister, playing with his niece and nephew all the while exchanging looks of love and adoration with Connor brought a blush to his already flushed face. 

As he turned the corner, onto his street Oliver hesitated in his tracks for a moment.

There was a police car outside of his apartment building, a stern looking policemen stood outside the flashing car and Oliver swallowed.  
He hoped it was nothing too serious, he didn’t want to have to wait outside in the bitter cold for hours because of an investigation just weeks before Christmas. 

Perhaps the annoying frat boys on the second floor were caught with drugs or something. Oliver wouldn’t complain if they got locked away for a while. They had been a nuisance ever since they moved in. 

Oliver tried to subtly walk past the policeman and enter the building but when he opened the front door, he stopped dead in his tracks. 

Four people were stomping down the steps of the familiar building, an expressionless policewoman first and behind her were two policemen in uniform, holding up a sickeningly pale Connor Walsh between them.

Except this wasn’t the grinning, giddy, happy Connor that Oliver had left behind in their apartment an hour ago,

No, this Connor was trembling and fragile, his hair was a wreck, his silky skin was as pale as a ghost and even from the door Oliver could hear him weakly trying to talk to the men holding him,

‘Look please! This is all just a mistake! It wasn’t like what you said! Just let me call-“ 

“Connor?” The word was out of Oliver’s mouth before he could stop it. 

The younger man’s head shot up and looked down at the gaping man on the ground floor.  
There was no anger in Oliver’s tone, he was far too confused to be angry.  
This made no sense. Absolutely no sense. 

Connor was in the arms of the police. The police had come for Connor, his Connor.  
They were taking Connor away from him.  
“Oll-Ollie” 

The policemen had dragged him down to the level ground now and Oliver could see him properly. 

He still wore the same clothes that he was wearing when Oliver had left. One of Oliver’s old college jumpers and casual sweatpants. 

Dear God he wasn’t even wearing shoes.

Sounds and sentences escaped the policemen’s mouths.  
Phrases and facts that sounded too much like threats, all things he had heard a thousand times while watching those law programmes with Connor on rainy Sunday afternoons. 

It was then the bright silver of the handcuffs caught in the gleam of the light and Oliver was thrown back into reality. 

“What- what’s going on?” Oliver forced out, his voice was less steady this time. 

“I-“ Connor attempted to explain but he was quickly forced out of the building altogether.

The bag Oliver was holding fell from his trembling fingertips and he raced back out the door just in time to see a shining tear fall from Connor’s face as the accused man begged, 

“Could you just give me a minute-“ 

Before Oliver had a chance to blink, he watched as Connor was put into the backseat of the old police car. 

The remaining police officers hopped in the car but Oliver managed to get the attention of one.

“Hey! Can you just-can someone explain what-“ Oliver took a deep breath “Why…why’s he being arrested?” 

The policewoman looked him up and down before offering Oliver a pitying expression, 

“He, along with three of his colleagues have been arrested for murder.”

Oliver couldn’t hear the whimper from the back of the police car from all the blood rushing through his ears. 

“M-murder?”

The woman nodded, “If you want to know more you’ll have to follow us to the station. You’ll have a long wait by the looks of things though.”

The middle aged woman turned and put her hand on the car door handle-  
“Wait!” Oliver said before he could stop himself  
The woman sighed, “What?”

“Whose murder?” Oliver asked, if he knew he could research, hack. Find out who really did what Connor was being accused of. 

The woman turned to look at Oliver one more time before answering clearly,  
“Sam Keating.”

The last thing Oliver saw as the car drove away was Connor’s shining brown eyes through the frosted window and the way his mouth mouthed the words ‘I love you’.  
…

“You don’t want to work for Annalise.”  
“I might be going to jail Ollie”  
“I’m not kidding”  
“I can’t tell you.”  
“You’d get in trouble.”  
“What I did wasn’t actually that bad.”  
“I don’t want you getting into trouble for all this crap that we do.”  
“I screwed up Oliver.”  
“I screwed up, I screwed up-“

Memories upon memories flashed through Oliver’s mind on repeat as he sat in the police station, where he had been for the past four hours at least.  
His phone had long since run out of battery and so he sat in the uncomfortable seats, watching as all sorts of crazy, dangerous strangers walked in and out of the doors.  
Until finally he saw someone he recognised exit one of the questioning rooms. 

Annalise Keating. 

Oliver sat up straighter and aligned his glasses at her sudden appearance. He hadn’t been here when she arrived.  
In her hand was her briefcase that he had surely seen before yet Oliver couldn’t help but notice that the hand clutching it seemed to be shaking ever so slightly.  
Good.  
Annalise talked to the old, grumpy man behind the counter for a moment before turning towards the exit. 

That’s when her eyes met Oliver’s.

She looked thoroughly exhausted, her eye-makeup a little smeared under her eyes though Oliver knew he looked no better. There was no clock in the room but Oliver knew it was well past midnight.

From the few conversations he has had with the esteemed lawyer and from the many rants Connor has given him about her, Oliver is aware Annalise Keating prides herself on hiding her feelings.

That’s what causes the first jolt of true dread to shot through him.

Her eyes are gleaming with tears, her hands shaking and of all the emotions that flicker across her face, fear and guilt are the most prominent. 

Suddenly she’s standing in front of them and every bad comment Connor ever made about this woman ring in his ears. Connor hated her so much, despised her far more than any other student with a bad boss would. 

Oliver had always suspected his anger towards the older woman wasn't just about the late nights of relentless work or how she was the reason Oliver began to hack for them more and more and enjoy it.  
Oliver presumed it was because Annalise had something to do with the really bad thing Connor did which he may or may not go to jail for.  
Well it seems he had presumed right.

And now here they were. 

“I’ll fix this” The tired woman eventually whispers

When Oliver doesn’t respond she clears her throat and announces clearly, 

“He’ll be fine. They will all be fine.”  
“Nothing about this is fine.” Oliver’s words are meant to come out harsh and cruel but instead he sounds weak and defeated due to his hoarse voice and the tears threatening to fall from his eyes.  
“Mr. Hampton-“  
“They told me” Oliver swallows “They told me it was Sam that he…that Connor supposedly murdered. He wouldn’t, they wouldn’t have done whatever they did unless you…you put them up to it. Or-“  
“Mr. Hampton, please.” Annalise Keating’s eyes nervously scan the people surrounding them “I understand this is difficult for you. I can explain everything to you here right here, right now but that will only get Connor in more trouble and I know deep down that’s not what you want.” 

Oliver looked at this woman who was practically a stranger to him and thought about her words. Was she right? Would Oliver like nothing less than to see Connor go to jail?

The day before he would have said absolutely but now he wasn't so sure. 

Because if what Annalise was implying was true then that means Connor helped cover up a murder, perhaps he was involved in the actual killing of his boss’s husband too. 

Oliver isn’t stupid he knows the night of Sam Keating’s disappearance was the same night Connor came crawling back to him. 

Smelling of smoke. The thick, sickening, overbearing scent that was all over his clothing as he collapsed on the ground outside Oliver’s apartment at dawn, looking so incredibly broken. 

Oliver had brushed the scent off as being from the bonfire that Connor and his friends had attended. 

Apparently that had been another lie. 

He didn’t get a chance to ask her anything else because at that moment a frantic Asher Millstone burst through the doors of the police station.  
The other man barely registered Oliver’s presence as he stared at Annalise with anger, horror and confusion in his eyes.

“What the hell is going on?” 

…

“They’re going to want to talk to you” Annalise stated.

They were sitting in her sitting room where Oliver had seen Connor and his friends work countless times. Instead now it was just Annalise and him. Her assistants Bonnie and Frank were in the kitchen and Asher had stormed out ten minutes prior after Annalise had explained to both of them everything that happened the night Sam died.

After she told them everything Connor had done.

“Why would they want to talk to me?” Oliver asked, confused. 

He and Connor weren’t even together at the time of the murder, would the police still think he had something to do with Sam Keating’s murder? 

“Because you saw Connor that night. I haven’t gotten a chance to see them yet but Connor will have told them either the truth about what happened or a lie. They all will have and if they told the truth then they will be forced to reveal what happened afterwards. For Connor, I believe he went straight to your apartment after they got rid of Sam’s remains.”

Oliver flinched at how casually this woman could talk about her late husband’s brutal death but continued listening,

“If they choose to lie then they will say they all went to the bonfire. I don’t know everything about my students' personal lives but Michaela mentioned something once about Connor having a fake drug addiction so Connor will probably say he was high that night and went to see you.”

Ah so the drug addiction had been a lie also. Somehow this didn’t surprise him in the slightest.

“Either way the police will want to talk to you about it. How Connor was acting, what he said, if there was any smell of smoke on him, any traces of blood on his clothing. They will use what you tell them in order to prosecute Connor and send him to jail.”

“So lie is what you’re saying.” Oliver said bluntly   
“Lie or your boyfriend goes to jail.” Annalise shrugged “You don’t really need to lie that much anyway. Leave out any details that would get him in trouble further.”

“I’m not exactly a good liar Mrs. Keating.” He admitted weakly

Annalise’s face softened just a bit, “Oliver I know you’re confused. You’re scared for Connor, for you, for your relationship and just so you know Connor wanted to tell you. I can’t tell you just how many fights there were in this house over him wanting to tell you everything and then the others convincing him not to because they were scared.” 

Oliver nodded but his mind was elsewhere. 

He hated himself because he wasn’t even that angry about what Connor did. How could he be? Oliver had practically insisted on breaking the law for Connor every time he hacked into a website or someone’s email. Connor had told him he could go to jail for something really bad and yet Oliver had still stuck by him despite not knowing what he had done. 

What hurt more were all the lies. 

It felt like he was right back at the beginning when he heard the recording of the phone call from that guy Connor had cheated on him with. 

Was Oliver angry? Oh of course. 

Was he going to do everything he could to stop Connor going to jail? Absolutely 

“I can hack into the police department.” Oliver suggested “Find out what Connor and the others have told them so far.”  
Annalise nodded, “Good then I can start prepping you on what to tell them.”

…

On the witness stand he was asked similar questions as the day he was asked to come to the station for questioning.

“Please state your full name”  
“Oliver Hampton.”

“What is your relationship to the defendant, Connor Walsh?”  
“He’s…my boyfriend.”

“Did you see Mr. Walsh on the night Sam Keating was murdered?”  
“Yes.”

“Were you in a relationship with Mr. Walsh at the time?”  
“No.”

Annalise had informed him about the tactics of the prosecution. How they were likely to use his relationship with Connor against him, his own personal insecurities against him and would do so by most likely bringing up Connor’s cheating.

“But you and Mr. Walsh dated before that night am I correct?”  
“Yes.”

“Is it true that you broke up with Mr. Walsh because he was unfaithful to you?”  
“Yes.”

“So why did he come back?” 

Annalise’s words came back to him, “They lied. They lied so you must lie too. Try not to focus on the drugs excuse. If they ask then just brush it aside or talk about something else. Whatever you do just don’t let the jury think that Connor was in that bad of a state for any other reason than he was just completely heartbroken from being apart from you.”

“Because he regretted what he did and he missed me.”

“Why did he go to you that night though? You two had been broken up for a while so why was that the first time he reached out?”  
“It wasn’t. He came to my apartment to apologise and try and win me back before that but I didn’t talk to him.”

“Why not?”  
“I didn’t know he was there. The guy I was seeing at the time answered the door and sent Connor away before I could speak to him.”

“How did Connor seem the second time he arrived at your doorstep then?”  
“It was early so he didn’t look too great. He had been out all night with his friends at a bonfire so he looked quite exhausted.”

“Did he tell you that’s where he was all night?”  
“No I saw the pictures online afterwards.”

“What did you and Mr. Walsh talk about?”

Oliver shrugged, “Just about us. He gave the typical ‘I’m sorry for cheating on you’ speech. I told him I couldn’t trust him again and he begged for another chance.”

“And why did you take him back?”  
“I didn’t. Not at first. He was stressed about law school so I offered to be a friend and help him organise study plans and that. Then he went home for Christmas break, after that we grew closer, I forgave him and we got back together.” 

“So…going back to that night. You’re saying there was nothing different or unusual about Connor or his behaviour?”  
“Not really. He was remorseful and determined that we could work things out but that was it.”

“You mentioned how exhausted he was and how he never actually told you he was at the bonfire.”  
“Connor works for Annalise Keating and is a law student. It’s natural for him to be tired. Even more natural for him to go out partying with his friends and if you don’t believe he was there then there were loads of other people in those photos who I’m sure could tell you he was there along with his friends.” 

“In your opinion did he look intoxicated to you?”  
“Not particularly.”

“Connor has mentioned a drug addiction to you before hasn’t he? Was he on drugs that night?”  
“I don’t know.”

“How is it that you don’t know Mr. Hampton, if you saw Mr. Walsh that night?”  
“I was a bit distracted. My ex-boyfriend just showed up on my doorstep at the crack of dawn and disturbed me from my sleep so I don’t know.”

The courtroom was silent for several minutes. Oliver clutched his hands to his knees and begged them to stop shaking. He could never lie. Not even when he was a child.  
But this was for Connor. So he could only hope that he had been convincing. 

“No further questions your honour.”

When Oliver was finally allowed to step down from the stand, he allowed his eyes to meet Connor’s. Oliver's heart ached. Connor looked ten times worse than he did on the night that Oliver had just been interrogated about. 

But what hurt Oliver the most were the tears streaming down his face. 

Oliver knew the crystal tears weren’t falling from his lover’s eyes because he was arrested with the strong possibility of going to the jail. He wasn’t crying because this was the first time he saw Oliver in weeks or out of remorse for what he had done, even though Oliver knew from the countless nightmares and panic attacks he had comforted him through that Connor felt immense guilt.

No, Oliver knew that Connor was crying because Oliver had succeeded. He had lied on oath to save his boyfriend and he would do it again in a heartbeat.  
Maybe it would help Connor in the trial, maybe it wouldn’t. But deep down Oliver feared that Connor secretly didn’t care whether he ended up in jail or not. Connor probably felt deserving of a life sentence after what he did.

Connor just never wanted Oliver to find out. He never wanted to put him in this situation.  
As he walked away, Oliver silently begged Connor to know that he forgave him, for everything.

...

“Members of the jury, do you find the defendants Laurel Castillo, Wes Gibbins, Michaela Pratt and Connor Walsh guilty or not guilty of the murder of Samuel Keating?”

The courtroom was dramatically silent. Oliver sat on the edge of his seat, desperate for an answer. 

'Not guilty. Not guilty. Not guilty. Please…please not guilty.' 

The prayer mantra spun round and round in his head as he stared at the jury, all of whose faces were completely masked. 

Asher sat beside him, ashen faced. He too had been called on to testify. 

He couldn’t say much, all he could do was spout the lies his professor had ordered him to say about that night. Oliver couldn’t tell if the jury bought either of their stories but he certainly hoped they did.

There had been evidence. Pretty solid evidence from what Oliver could understand but Annalise used her tactics to try her best and prove it was meaningless and that it couldn’t prove these four innocent victims murdered anyone let alone cover up a murder and burn a body.

Oliver felt his breath catch in his throat. From the corner of his eye he could see Asher’s pale hands shaking. This was it.

The woman speaking for the jury stood upright and the whole room held their breath as she opened her mouth to reveal the verdict.

...


	2. The Verdict

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the verdict leaves the woman’s lips the world goes still for Oliver.   
> The judge says some final words but Oliver can’t hear them over the thumping of his own heart.

…

After the verdict leaves the woman’s lips the world goes still for Oliver. 

The judge says some final words but Oliver can’t hear them over the thumping of his own heart.

From the corner of his eye he sees Asher’s head fall into his heads beside him. For all the complaints about all the lies he was told, Oliver knows that despite all of that all Asher wanted was for his friends to be released. 

And now they would be.

Salty tears escaped from Oliver’s eyes and ran down his cheeks, the words that the woman has said playing over and over again in his head like a beautiful melody, 

“Not guilty.” 

He drags his eyes away from that saint of a woman and looks over at the four law students. 

Michaela has her face hidden in her hands, even from across the court Oliver can see that she is sobbing from how violently her shoulders shake. 

Laurel stands, leaning into Frank who stands overjoyed in the front row behind her. Laurel’s eyes are wide and unblinking; she looks to be in shock. 

Wes stands talking to Annalise, exhausted is etched on his face but he appears to be thanking her. Oliver can’t see Annalise’s expression from where he sits but she isn’t who he cares about right now.

Finally Oliver’s eyes lands on Connor.

Connor is standing and he has turned so he is facing away from the judge. Oliver watches as Connor’s shining brown eyes sweep the seats until they land on him. 

His feet start moving before his mind can catch up with it and suddenly Oliver is standing, walking and then running towards Connor. 

Connor’s racing to him too and they wind up meeting each other in the middle. 

Oliver throws his arms around Connor and buries his face into his neck. 

He doesn’t smell right. 

Connor doesn’t smell of his usual mix of shampoo, hair-gel and cologne but Oliver can’t give a damn because it’s him. 

It’s Connor in his arms and he’s safe. 

And Oliver is determined to do everything in his power to keep him safe.

Connor clutches to Oliver for dear life and he can feel Connor’s tears dropping onto the back of his neck. 

“I’m so sorry” Connor chokes out, his voice hoarse and broken “I’m so sorry…Ollie I…” 

Oliver pulls back so he can look at him. 

He softly wipes Connor’s tears away with a fingertip and smiles. 

“I know...” Oliver can feel tears sting his own eyes again “It’s alright. We’re…we’re going to be alright.” 

Connor’s face breaks out into a smile.

A wide, genuine smile and Oliver can’t remember the last time he has ever missed something as much as he has missed that smile. 

Connor falls into his arms again and they cling to each other for who knows how long. 

But that doesn’t matter because they are alright; they were going to be okay. 

They had come so close to losing each other and in that moment both of them silently swore to one another that nothing would tear them apart ever again. 

…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who commented! I hadn't planned on writing an epilogue to this but since so many people wanted one I decided to write a short one. Please let me know if you are happy with it! :)


End file.
